This weekend, Premier Ewart Brown and Public Safety Minister David Burch met with Bennie Thompson, Chairman of the United States House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee to discuss the possibility of bringing a Coast Guard Base to Bermuda. This meeting builds upon last month's meeting with Rep. Thompson and his colleagues regarding a base.

According to Premier Brown, progress is being made and a Coast Guard station would be an asset for Bermuda. Premier Brown: "This issue is still under consideration. I'm pleased where things stand. We think this partnership is very important for Bermuda so we're happy Chairman Thompson is willing to help us move things forward.

"A Coast Guard presence for Bermuda will go a long way toward improving public safety - we'll be more responsive to water borne search and rescue, and perhaps more importantly, we'll be able to better protect Bermuda's neighbourhoods from the importation of guns and illegal drugs."